The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro are two of the most impressive and powerful smartphones Apple has ever made. While they may look similar at first glance, there are several key differences that set the iPhone 14 Pro apart as a meaningful upgrade over its predecessor. In this in-depth comparison, we‘ll examine how the two Pro models stack up in terms of design, display technology, camera capabilities, performance, battery life, and more. By the end, you‘ll have a clear sense of which iPhone is the right choice for your needs and budget.
Design and Build
From the back, the iPhone 14 Pro and 13 Pro are nearly indistinguishable. They share the same premium glass and stainless steel design with nearly identical dimensions. The 14 Pro measures 5.81 inches tall, 2.81 inches wide, and 0.31 inches deep, while the 13 Pro comes in at 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.30 inches. So the newer model is ever so slightly taller and thicker.
In terms of weight, the iPhone 14 Pro also has a bit more heft to it at 7.27 ounces (206 grams) compared to the 13 Pro‘s 7.19 ounces (204 grams). While a 2-3 gram difference is pretty minimal, it is perceptible if you‘re holding the phones side-by-side. The added thickness and weight of the 14 Pro is likely due to its larger camera system and slightly higher capacity battery.
The most noticeable design change on the iPhone 14 Pro is on the front display. The notch that housed the TrueDepth camera and Face ID sensors on previous Pro models has been replaced by the Dynamic Island – an adaptive pill-shaped cutout that can morph into different shapes and sizes to surface alerts, notifications and activities. The Dynamic Island enables a more immersive, full-screen experience while still accommodating the front-facing camera tech. It‘s a clever and useful new interface element that makes the 14 Pro feel fresh.
In contrast, the iPhone 13 Pro still has the classic notch design which does eat into the screen real estate a bit more. While the notch didn‘t bother most people, the Dynamic Island is undoubtedly a sleeker, more modern, and functional design.
Both the iPhone 14 Pro and 13 Pro maintain the Ceramic Shield front cover glass for enhanced durability and scratch resistance. They also boast an IP68 water resistance rating, meaning they can withstand being submerged in up to 6 meters of water for 30 minutes. So both phones are extremely well-built and can stand up to daily wear and tear.
Display
At a glance, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro have very similar displays. They‘re both 6.1" Super Retina XDR OLED panels with a 2556×1179 pixel resolution at 460ppi. The displays also support P3 wide color, True Tone, and ProMotion technology for an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz.
However, the iPhone 14 Pro has two significant new display features that set it apart: an always-on display (AOD) and significantly improved peak brightness.
Thanks to the LTPO technology that allows the refresh rate to scale all the way down to 1Hz, the iPhone 14 Pro can maintain an always-on display that shows the clock, widgets, notifications and Live Activities on the Lock Screen at a glance. This allows you to see essential information without ever having to tap your iPhone awake. The AOD intelligently dims the display but still maintains the visual fidelity of your Lock Screen wallpaper and fonts. It‘s a great feature for quickly checking the time or seeing notifications at a glance.
The iPhone 13 Pro lacks an always-on display capability since its LTPO OLED panel bottoms out at 10Hz. You have to fully wake the screen to view any information.
When it comes to brightness, the iPhone 14 Pro also has a big advantage with up to 2000 nits of peak HDR brightness compared to 1200 nits on the iPhone 13 Pro. In real-world use this translates to better visibility in direct sunlight and an even more striking, vibrant picture when viewing HDR content. The 14 Pro‘s display is truly stunning.
Cameras
Cameras have always been one of the biggest selling points for iPhone Pro models and a key area that Apple improves year-over-year. That‘s definitely the case with the iPhone 14 Pro which introduces the first megapixel upgrade to the main wide camera since the iPhone 6S. Let‘s see how the camera systems compare:
iPhone 14 Pro:
- 48MP Main (Wide): 24mm, ƒ/1.78 aperture, 2nd-gen sensor-shift OIS
- 12MP Ultra Wide: 13mm, ƒ/2.2 aperture, 120° field of view
- 12MP 2x Telephoto: 48mm, ƒ/1.78 aperture, 2nd-gen sensor-shift OIS
- 12MP 3x Telephoto: 77mm, ƒ/2.8 aperture, OIS
iPhone 13 Pro:
- 12MP Main (Wide): 26mm, ƒ/1.5 aperture, sensor-shift OIS
- 12MP Ultra Wide: 13mm, ƒ/1.8 aperture, 120° field of view
- 12MP Telephoto: 77mm, ƒ/2.8 aperture, OIS
The headline is the massive 48MP main camera on the iPhone 14 Pro which features a new quad-pixel sensor with 4x the resolution of the 13 Pro‘s 12MP shooter. With a 65% larger sensor that captures more light and detail, the iPhone 14 Pro takes a big leap in image quality. Photos have less noise, better texture rendering, and improved low-light performance.
The 48MP sensor also enables a new 2x Telephoto option which crops into the middle 12 megapixels of the sensor, delivering full-resolution photos and 4K videos with no digital zoom. Combined with the 3x Telephoto lens, the iPhone 14 Pro offers 4 total zoom options: 0.5x, 1x, 2x and 3x.
The iPhone 13 Pro‘s camera system is still excellent, but can‘t quite match the 14 Pro when it comes to resolution, low-light performance, and zoom versatility. There‘s definitely a noticeable step up in image quality with the newer model.
The iPhone 14 Pro also boasts a new Photonic Engine for enhanced mid to low-light performance across all lenses. And a faster f/1.78 aperture on the main lens further helps with shooting in dimmer conditions and capturing fast action.
For video, Action Mode on the iPhone 14 Pro provides incredible stabilization for smooth handheld videos, even when you‘re running or moving quickly. The iPhone 13 Pro can record Dolby Vision HDR video up to 4K at 60 fps but lacks the Action Mode feature.
In terms of Pro photography tools, both models support Apple ProRAW and Night mode portraits. But the 14 Pro can shoot 48MP ProRAW photos for mind-blowing detail, while the 13 Pro is limited to 12MP.
All in all, the iPhone 14 Pro marks the biggest camera upgrade in years and definitively offers better photography and videography chops than the still very capable 13 Pro.
Performance and 5G
Performance is a huge strength of any iPhone Pro model, and that‘s especially true with the iPhone 14 Pro and its A16 Bionic chip. Apple calls it "the fastest chip ever in a smartphone" and it shows in benchmark tests where the A16 Bionic‘s 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU post numbers that trounce the competition. The 14 Pro also packs 6GB of RAM which helps with multitasking and demanding workloads.
The iPhone 13 Pro is of course no slouch with its A15 Bionic processor and 6GB of RAM. For the vast majority of users, it has more than enough power to blaze through any task, from 4K video editing to graphics-intensive gaming.
While the A16 Bionic is about 10-15% faster than the A15 in benchmarks, you likely won‘t notice a huge real-world difference between the two in everyday use. Apps launch instantly, animations are smooth, and both phones feel extremely responsive.
One performance advantage of the A16 Bionic is that it‘s built on a more efficient 4nm manufacturing process compared to the A15‘s 5nm process. Combined with other chip enhancements, this allows the iPhone 14 Pro‘s processor to use 20% less power than the A15. That translates to some nice battery life improvements which we‘ll touch on later.
For 5G connectivity, both the iPhone 14 Pro and 13 Pro support a full range of 5G bands, including speedy mmWave frequencies. But the 14 Pro packs a few notable 5G upgrades like more 5G bands for better coverage, 5G carrier aggregation for faster speeds, and 5G modems that use less power. This makes the iPhone 14 Pro more future-proof and a bit more power-efficient when it comes to 5G performance.
Battery Life
When it comes to battery life, both the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro are champs, but there are a few notable differences. Here‘s how the two models compare:
iPhone 14 Pro:
- Video playback: Up to 23 hours
- Video playback (streamed): Up to 20 hours
- Audio playback: Up to 75 hours
iPhone 13 Pro:
- Video playback: Up to 22 hours
- Video playback (streamed): Up to 20 hours
- Audio playback: Up to 75 hours
As you can see, the iPhone 14 Pro edges out the 13 Pro by about an hour when it comes to offline video playback. In more mixed, real-world use, the 14 Pro also tends to last 1-2 hours longer than its predecessor, likely due to the more efficient A16 Bionic chip and a slightly higher capacity battery.
Notably, the iPhone 14 Pro achieves better battery life despite having an always-on display. That‘s because the AOD is smart enough to essentially shut off and conserve power in situations like when the iPhone is in your pocket or lying face down. So you get the convenience of an always-on display without taking a big hit on endurance.
When it comes to charging, both iPhones offer convenient MagSafe and Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W and 15W respectively. With a 20W or higher charger, the iPhone 14 Pro can fast charge to 50% in about 30 minutes, while the 13 Pro takes a bit longer at 35 minutes to reach a 50% charge.
Storage, Color Options, and Pricing
iPhone 14 Pro:
- Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
- Color Options: Deep Purple, Gold, Silver, Space Black
- Starting Price: $999
iPhone 13 Pro:
- Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
- Color Options: Alpine Green, Gold, Graphite, Silver, Sierra Blue
- Starting Price (at launch): $999
The iPhone 14 Pro and 13 Pro have identical storage configurations starting at 128GB and topping out at a whopping 1TB for power users. It‘s great that the base storage is a roomy 128GB which is plenty for most people.
Color preferences are subjective, but it‘s worth noting that the hero color for the iPhone 14 Pro lineup is a sophisticated Deep Purple that looks great in person. The 13 Pro colors are a bit more conservative, but the lighter Sierra Blue and Alpine Green are certainly eye-catching.
The iPhone 14 Pro and 13 Pro launched at the same $999 starting price for the base 128GB model. Of course, the 14 Pro is the newest model while Apple has officially discontinued the 13 Pro. However, you may still be able to find carrier deals or refurbished iPhone 13 Pro models at a discount.
Bottom Line
The iPhone 14 Pro is an impressive refinement of an already phenomenal phone in the iPhone 13 Pro. With a 48MP main camera, always-on display, Dynamic Island, Action mode for video, and improved battery life, it introduces plenty of new features that make for a compelling upgrade.
However, the 13 Pro is still a top-tier flagship that excels across the board, from its stellar cameras to blazing fast performance. If you can find a good deal on an iPhone 13 Pro, it‘s still one of the best phones money can buy, even if it‘s missing some of the flashy new features of the 14 Pro.
Ultimately, if you want the absolute best iPhone with the most advanced capabilities, the iPhone 14 Pro is a stellar choice that‘s more future-proof. But if you‘re upgrading from an older phone and find the 13 Pro at a nice discount, you‘ll still be getting an incredible device that you can enjoy for years to come.
